He went on quickly: "Battle's on his way here now. I happened to see him at Paddington. I got my car out and came down here. I knew I could beat the train easily."

"But why?"

Despard hesitated just for a minute.

"I may have been presumptuous--but I had the impression that you were, perhaps, what is called 'alone in the world.'"

"She's got me," said Rhoda.

Despard shot a quick glance at her, rather liking the gallant boyish figure that leant against the mantelpiece and was following his words so intensely. They were an attractive pair, these two.

"I'm sure she couldn't have a more devoted friend than you, Miss Dawes," he said courteously; "but it occurred to me that, in the peculiar circ.u.mstances, the advice of some one with a good dash of worldly wisdom might not be amiss.

Frankly, the situation is this: Miss Meredith is under suspicion of having committed murder. The same applies to me and to the two other people who were in the room last night. Such a situation is not agreeableand it has its own peculiar difficulties and dangers which some one as young and inexperienced as you are, Miss Meredith, might not recognise. In my opinion, you ought to put yourself in the hands of a thoroughly good solicitor. Perhaps you have already done so?"

Anne Meredith shook her head. "I never thought of it."

"Exactly as I suspected. Have you got a good man--a London man, for choice?"

Again Anne shook her head.

"I've hardly ever needed a solicitor."

"There's Mr. Bury," said Rhoda. "But he's about a hundred-and-two, and quite gaga."

"If you'll allow me to advise you, Miss Meredith, I recommend your going to Mr. Myherne, my own solicitor. Jacobs, Peel & Jacobs is the actual name of the firm. They're first-cla.s.s people, and they know all the ropes."

Anne had got paler. She sat down.

"Is it really necessary?" she asked in a low voice.

"I should say emphatically so. There are all sorts of legal pitfalls."

432

"Are these people very--expensive?- "That doesn't matter a bit," said Rhoda. "That will be quite all right, Major Despard. I think everything you say is quite true. Anne ought to be protected."

"Their charges will, I think, be quite reasonable," said Despard. He added seriously: "I really do think it's a wise course, Miss Meredith." "Very well," said Anne slowly. "I'll do it if you think so." "Good."

Rhoda said warmly: "I think it's awfully nice of you, Major Despard. Really frightfully nice."

Anne said, "Thank you."

She hesitated, and then said: "Did you say Superintendent Battle was coming here?"

"Yes. You mustn't be alarmed by that. It's inevitable."

"Oh, I know. As a matter of fact, I've been expecting him."

Rhoda said impulsively: "Poor darling--it's nearly killing her, this business. It's such a shamso frightfully unfair."

Despard said: "I agree--it's a pretty beastly businessdragging a young girl into an affair of this kind. If any one wanted to stick a knife into Shaitana, they ought to have chosen some other place or time."

Rhoda asked squarely: "Who do you think did it? Dr. Roberts or that Mrs. Lorrimer?"

A very faint smile stirred Despard's moustache.

"May have done it myself, for all you know."

"Oh, no," cried Rhoda. "Anne and I know you didn't do it."

He looked at them both with kindly eyes.

A nice pair of kids. Touchingly full of faith and trust. A timid little creature, the Meredith girl. Never mind, Myherne would see her through. The other was a fighter. He doubted if she would have crumpled up in the same way if she'd been in her friend's place. Nice girls. He'd like to know more about them. These thoughts pa.s.sed through his mind. Aloud he said: "Never take anything for granted, Miss Dawes. I don't set as much value on human life as most people do. All this hysterical fuss about road deaths for instance. Man is always in danger from traffic, from germs, from a hundred-and-one things. As well be killed one way as another. The moment you begin being careful of yourself adopting as your motto 'Safety First'-you might as well be dead, in my opinion."

"Oh, I do agree with you," cried Rhoda. "I think one ought to live frightfully dangerously--if one gets the chance, that is. But life, on the whole, is terribly tame."

"It has its moments."

"Yes, for you. You go to out-of-the-way places and get mauled by tigers and shoot things and jiggers bury themselves in your toes and insects sting you, and everything's terribly uncomfortable but frightfully thrilling."

"Well, Miss Meredith has had her thrill, too. I don't suppose it often happens that you've actually been in the room while a murder was committed--"

"Oh, don't!" cried Anne.

He said quickly: "I'm sorry."

But Rhoda said with a sigh: "Of course it was awful but it was exciting, too! I don't think Anne

appreciates that side of it. You know, I think that Mrs. Oliver is thrilled to the core to have been there that night."

"Mrs ? Oh, your fat friend who writes the books about the unp.r.o.nounceable Finn. Is she trying her hand at detection in real life?"

"She wants to."

"Well, let's wish her luck. It would be amusing if she put one over on Battle and Co."

"What is Superintendent Battle like?" asked Rhoda curiously.

Major Despard said gravely: "He's an extraordinarily astute man. A man of remarkable ability."

"Oh!" said Rhoda. "Anne said he looked rather stupid."

"That, I should imagine, is part of Battle's stock-in-trade. But we mustn't make any mistakes. Battle's no fool."

He rose.

"Well, I must be off. There's just one other thing I'd like to say."

Anne had risen also.

"Yes?" she said as she held out her hand.

Despard paused a minute, picking his words carefully. He took her hand and retained it in his. He looked straight into the wide, beautiful grey eyes.

"Don't be offended with me," he said. "I just want to say this: It's humanly possible that there may be some feature of your acquaintanceship with Shaitana that you don't want to come out. If so--don't be angry, please" (he felt the instinctive pull of her hand)"you are perfectly within your rights in refusing to answer any questions Battle may ask unless your solicitor is present."

Anne tore her hand away. Her eyes opened, their grey darkening with anger.

"There's nothing--nothing .... I hardly knew the beastly man." "Sorry," said Major Despard. "Thought I ought to mention it." "It's quite true," said Rhoda. "Anne barely knew him. She didn't like him much, but he gave frightfully good parties."

"That," said Major Despard grimly, "seems to have been the only justification for the late Mr. Shaitana's existence."

Anne said in a cold voice: "Superintendent Battle can ask me anything he likes. I've nothing to hide nothing."

Despard said very gently, "Please forgive me."

She looked at him. Her anger dwindled. She smiled it was a very sweet smile.

"It's all right," she said. "You meant it kindly, I know."

She held out her hand again. He took it and said: "We're in the same boat, you know. We ought to be pals .... "

It was Anne who went with him to the gate. When she came back Rhoda was staring out of the window and whistling. She turned as her friend entered the room.

"He's frightfully attractive, Anne."

"He's nice, isn't he?"

"A great deal more than nice .... I've got an absolute pa.s.sion for him. Why wasn't I at that d.a.m.ned dinner instead of you? I'd have enjoyed the excitement-- the net closing round me--the shadow of the scaffold-- "No, you wouldn't. You're talking nonsense, Bhoda.'

Anne's voice was sharp. Then it softened as she said: "It was nice of him to come all this way--for a stranger--a girl he's only met once."

"Oh, he fell for you. Obviously. Men don't do purely disinterested kindnesses.

He wouldn't have come toddling down if you'd been cross-eyed and covered with pimples!"

"Don't you think so?"

"I do not, my good idiot. Mrs. Oliver's a much more disinterested party."

"I don't like her," said Anne abruptly. "I had a sort of feeling about her I

wonder what she really came for?"

"The usual suspicions of your own s.e.x. I dare say Major Despard had an axe to grind, if it comes to that."

"I'm sure he hadn't," cried Anne hotly.

Then she blushed as Rhoda Dawes laughed.

CHAPTER 14

Third Visitor

Superintendent Battle arrived at Wallingford about six o'clock. It was his intention to learn as much as he could from innocent local gossip before interviewing Miss Anne Meredith.

It was not difficult to glean such information as there was. Without committing himself definitely to any statement, the superintendent nevertheless gave several different impressions of his rank and calling in life.

At least two people would have said confidently that he was a London builder come down to see about a new wing to be added to the cottage, from another you would have learned that he was one of these weekenders wanting to take a furnished cottage,"

and two more would have said they knew positively, and for a fact, that he was the representative of a hardcourt tennis firm.

The information that the superintendent gathered was entirely favourable. "Wendon Cottage? Yes, that's right--on the Marlbury Road. You can't miss it. Yes, two young ladies. Miss Dawes and Miss Meredith. Very nice young ladies,. too. The quiet kind.